After conquering book after book, Jesse heads to school to learn about socializing. It's a nerve-wracking time for her parents to see her advance so quickly. An unexpected visitor from Korea may make things worse.
MADE IN KOREA #2
Writer: Jeremy Holt
Artist: George Schall
Letters: Adam Wollet
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: June 30, 2021
Cover Price: $3.99
SETUP DOESN'T WORK
To fix setup issues with your Proxy:
* Check that your child is on.
* Check that your child is connected to Wi-Fi.
* Reboot your child.
* Reset your child to its factory settings:
1. Press and hold the Action button (behind left ear).
2. Wait until the light ring turns green (about 25 seconds).
Score:
★★★★1/2 (4.5/5)
In issue one, Jeremy Holt and George Schall introduced a world full of melancholy as parents are unable to conceive. With the advancement of artificial intelligence and robotics, android children are available to purchase if you can afford them. For a couple in Texas, the prospect of a child, android or otherwise, was not in their future. Meanwhile, in Korea, a rogue programmer was perfecting his code and testing it in a discontinued android model. He covertly uploads it and puts it on sale at a deep discount. The couple's prayers seem to have been answered. It's a heartwarming event for the couple but what's in it for the programmer?
As a parent, it's difficult not to relate to Bill and Suelynn Evans. Nurturing a child can be a daunting task and while they've skipped the baby phase, they still want to encourage their android Proxy, Jesse, and her appetite for knowledge. You want to expose your child to books and talk about themes and lessons found in the stories. But when your child has a super processor for a brain, it's hard to keep up as she breezes through book after book. Her hunger for information leads to wanting to go to school for the very practical reason to learn to socialize with other kids. Reading books is one thing but introducing your child to a pool of strangers and hope they make friends is an anxiety-ridden prospect for any parent. For the Evans, it's a similar situation with more to consider.
And it's these relatable aspects of parenting that tugs at the heart and endears the reader to Jesse and her parents. Like the great Jeff Lemire, Holt targets an emotional reaction from the reader and soon we've succumbed to the story's charms and take a protective stance when it comes to Jesse's experience at school. We're looking out for her too. That's what makes 'Made in Korea' so irresistible, Holt's ability to tell a simple story with characters that invoke emotion. Even bad ones as the programmer Chul from Korea intends to upend the Evans world.
George Schall's art is fantastic, understated, and rife with emotion. His style is perfect for slice-of-life storytelling that depicts everyday suburban life set in daylight with a soft Fall color palette; a lot of brown, yellow, pink, green. But the story is character-driven and so Schall masterfully conveys Jesse's emotions. Her sense of wonder and excitement is written all over her face. Overall, the art and script work in concert perfectly.
'Made in Korea' #2 takes Jesse to school and all the emotional highs and lows that entails. It's the perfect example of a small story told to perfection. It may be a relatable slice-of-life book with a science-fiction foundation but it will capture your heart and stir your emotions. I get the sense that this series is an underrated gem but it deserves a lot of love.
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